Kagerō Deizu
by Sora-Hyouryuu
Summary: When you talk about summer, this is a pretty common cliché. "That's why I hate summer." - Natsu found that he REALLY hated summer, now.
1. Natsu, crying

**_3:51 PM, July 18th  
_**

Natsu Dragneel screamed.

He was in the middle of a busy intersection, cradling the lifeless body of a girl. She was about his age-18. Her blond hair was pulled into a once neat side ponytail with a sky blue ribbon, and she wore a matching sundress that complimented her figure and reached her knees. Her large, chocolate brown eyes stared blankly at the clear summer sky, eyes that once sparkled with excitement and happiness, eyes that were now _dead._

_Lucy was dead._

_"Yes, dead, she's dead! She will always die at this time, no matter how much you try." _The voice was cynical, and sounded all too familiar, though he purposely ignored it. _It has already hurt him enough.  
_

He continued to cry out to the sky. His voice came out in incoherent, unintelligible yells, as tears cascaded heavily down his face.

_He was falling apart._

There were people, nondescript adults making their way across the street. And even though he was causing a racket in the middle of a busy street, even though he _bawling, bawling_ to the top of his lungs, no one- not one of the nondescript adults who made their way across the street with mocking leisure- ever stopped.

_No one stopped._

He cradled the frail bloodied girl to his chest, sobbing in that same, broken way, a way that would have had others cringe in grief and shared pain. And yet, it fell solely upon the deaf ears of those nondescript adults.

He would always ask himself so many questions.

_Why him?_

Asking every time this happened was beginning to become tedious and frustrating.

_How?_

Who knows?

_Why was he crying?_

He never did that, and yet here he was, the unwanted salt water raining from his dark green eyes, falling unobstructed to the concrete below and the face of the girl who no longer lived._  
_

_Just, why?_

It didn't even matter anymore.

_He just wanted out._

His throat had long become raw, and yet he let it all out. All the pain, all the anguish, the stress, the frustration, anger, despair, even the sorrow for the girl he barely met.

But the thing that hurt most was the loneliness. Being left alone in this... this dimension he couldn't escape from, no matter how desperately he wanted to. Never able to see his friends, his family. Never again. Never.

It ate at him ever-so-painfully, swallowing him whole, until there was nothing left but a ghost, an empty corpse of a once carefree man. The carefree man who _loved_ the summer.

It was literally in his name! _'Natsu'_ means summer, so of course he liked the season. Not only that, it was a beautiful time of year, and he couldn't understand why anyone would dislike it.

But now, he hated it.

He detested it, _loathed_ it with every fiber of his being. The scorching heat only fueled his sinking into misery, because he used to love it _so much_. The overwhelming feelings smothering him, burning him away, away, _away._

_Until there was no longer anything left._

He barely held any hope left; he was done with that. Every attempt he made to prevent this from happening again failed, and with each failure, with each recurrent day he failed to keep the blond's blood from spilling, the stench of blood and death mingling with the stifling summer air, he knew a fragment of his sanity left him.

_He didn't even know if he had any left anymore_

So, he continued to weep over the body of Lucy Heartfilia; the overpowering emotions suffocating him and choking him so; his vision going black, as he was-for the umpteenth time-being forced to repeat the awful day of July 18th.

He just stopped caring about all the questions swarming his mind, but he just kept one. For the sake of his memory, the memory of the man who became trapped in the midst of the endless heat haze, he had ask _one_ thing.

_When did this all begin?_

Well, at least he knows the answer to this one.

**It began at exactly 12:13 AM, on July 18th...**

* * *

**(A/N): Phew... okay.**

**I know this is really, _really_ emotional. But my writing style is very..._angsty_ and high-strung, so I must live up to it.**

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

**So this is based on a song called Heat Haze Days. If you want to search it up, you can, but it's in Japanese. I don't understand the use of vocaloids, so I listened to the normal NicoNico chorus version. And if you do search it up, find the lyrics. Then you'll understand what the song is about. But I will still give you the gist of it.**

_**"This is a story about how a boy and girl, seemingly forever trapped in two repeating days (Aug.14 & Aug.15), are vying to die for each other in order to somehow escape that cursed loop."**_**(not my words)**

**Very sad:'(**

**Of course, I changed it up a little. I was planning on this being a nice little 5-shot, if I can update it on time.**

**Also, I read a version of this by _Miss Pavalova_, which is how I was introduced to this song, and what inspired me to create this story.**

**I purposely neglected to add an author's note at the beginning, just to get to the story as fast as possible.**

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


	2. Natsu, denying

**(A/N):**

**So. What's up?  
**

**BTW, If you haven't noticed (I doubt you haven't noticed, but just in case...) this is AU, and is probably going to be ****_extremely_**** OOC. But the song is cool, so yeah.**

**If any of you have read my story ****_MFT (Music For Thought)_****, you must be wondering why this is not there. This is not there because I wanted this to be 5 chapters long, and that's not happening because the other series is more of a drabble, so each chapter has a new song/theme.**

**If you have seen the video for this song, which I highly recommend, you'd understand that I got the first chapter from the first few seconds of the video, and just stretched it out ****_alot_****.**

**Anyway, I should probably get on with the next chapter...**

**Here goes Chapter 2 of **_**Kagerō Deizu...**_

* * *

**_12:13 PM, July 18th_**

Natsu woke up to light hitting his face. The curtains were open, rays of sun peeking through and warming his face. He sat up, yawning and stretching. The pink-haired teenager turned towards the window, and seeing as it was a bright, sunny day, he decided to go outside today.

_It was incredibly nice, that day._

But first he would see his dad.

He barreled down the stairs, practically skidding at the landing. He tore through the hall with a grin on his face, hoping to see his red-haired father in bed. He burst through the master bedroom, shouting out a happy "Good morning, Dad!"

He was greeted with silence.

He looked towards the large, neatly fixed bed, Igneel not buried underneath its covers. Instead, there was a folded, set neatly on the bed. He picked it up, dreading what it said, and opened it to see his dad's messy scrawl (which he was able to read because his own handwriting was exactly like it)**_  
_**

_Dear Natsu,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't be there this wonderful morning. I have been called in for work, so I may be gone for quite a while, although I'm not sure exactly how long._

_But, and I'm very sorry for this, I may miss your birthday, son. Happy early birthday, Natsu._

_I must keep this short, I am running out of time._

_Please forgive me,_

_Igneel._

The 17-year-old man stared at the letter, saddened by the thought of Igneel missing his birthday.

_But it's not like it would be the first time either._

He showered and ate breakfast early, feeling the need to distract himself.

But his mind would never stray far from those feelings of abandonment.

* * *

_**3:34 PM, July 18th**  
_

He walked out of the house, tucking his keys into his pockets. Dragging his feet down the walkway, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his camouflage-print shorts that reached just above his knees.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't depressed. He was absolutely crestfallen! His father was going to miss his birthday for work! He couldn't stay home for his son's most important _birthday_?!

_It's obviously not important enough for his father's time._

Natsu walked with his head hung low, heading towards his job. He was going to move out soon, having finished high school that year. He was going to get out of his father's life.

_Igneel probably wouldn't notice, anyway. Work came before family._

It was a nice day, but somehow he felt it was too nice. As if it was so nice, it was nauseating.

But he ignore that feeling, and he decided he would call Gray and his friends to go to the pool later. He would end his shift early and throw a pool party, and hopefully it would take his mind off his dad.

_And_ he's back to thinking about Igneel.

He sighed sadly, and without his knowledge, was making his way to the park. The park he used to go to with his parents when he was younger. But after his mom died, his father took him there less and less, and, at some point, he became too old to go anymore.

Before he realized it, he was standing at the entrance of the old park. He was about to walk away, for the feelings from earlier rose up in him again, he spotted something.

Or rather, _someone._

Through the wavering distance (due to the heat), he saw a person sitting at the swing sets. He/she had a head of blond hair, and wore a nice sky blue. Out of curiosity, he walked forward, making his way through the wrought, iron gates, and crossing the large park. He stopped at the swing next to person (which he now realized was a girl), and plopped down on the swing to her left, making his presence known.

She jumped, turning towards him.

And she was _stunning_.

She had the most _gorgeous_ blond hair, shining and swaying in the summer wind like a golden mane. Half of it was pulled up into a neat little side pony, tied by a sky blue ribbon. Her doe-like eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement, and seemed to have mini stars swimming in their chocolate depths. She wore a beautiful sky blue sun dress that reached her knees, complimenting her glowing skin.

And as he drooled over her, she looked up and smiled.

"Hi!" She said brightly.

He was forced out of his thoughts by the sound of her melodious voice, and decided in that second that he could be late for work.

_If only he knew the severity of his decision._

"Hey! What'cha doin' here all by yourself?" he said.

She looked sad for a moment, and smiled wryly.

"I'm enjoying my last day here..."

Natsu, confused, asked,"What do 'ya mean by that?"

"Well, my dad's sending me away to study abroad, and I really don't want to go. But, since I'm forced to go, I thought I might visit here for a while."

The pink-haired man hummed, wanting to get off this seemingly depressing topic.

"Hey, I never got your name!"

She brightened up almost immediately, smiling again.

"I'm Lucy, nice to meet you!"

"I'm Natsu!"

She looked down, stroking a cat Natsu just realized was there. _When the hell did it get there?!_

"Your cat's _blue_! How?!"

Lucy giggled, a sound that jingled like wind chimes. Natsu blushed at the sound.

"I get that alot. I don't know why he's blue though, he just is. We tried washing it off, but it never worked. His name's Happy, by the way."

Natsu hummed again. The blond-haired beauty looked down, scratching the blue cat behind his ears.

"But, you know...I don't really like summer..." She muttered, sounding surprisingly bold.

Natsu reeled back in mock surprise. "What?! Am I really that bad?!"

She gasped lightly,"What? No! That's not-"

"Kidding, kidding! Calm down!"

* * *

**_3:47 PM, July_ _18th_**

They talked for a long time, learning tidbits about each other, laughing like best friends.

"...and then I said 'That's what she said'!" Both friends laughed out loud, the joke quite humorous.

His mirth dieing down, Natsu said,"Hey, let's go to lunch."

She pondered this a second."Sure," She shrugged,"why not?"

She stood, then stopped, turning to him with a slightly worried face.

"Why are you talking to me?" She asked in a small voice, almost as if she was afraid to hear the answer. The pink-haired man blinked confusedly, before sending her a toothy grin.

"I've got nothin' better to do today," He said, shrugging in a carefree manner.

She hummed at this, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

* * *

_**3:51 PM, July** **18th**_

They walked peacefully down the street, and even though he was enjoying himself for the first time that morning, there was a sort of trepidation rolling in his gut.

Something was going to happen, _he knew_.

He didn't want to jinx it.

Suddenly, the cat that was once in Lucy's arms was on the sidewalk, running across the street.

"Happy!" Lucy shrieked, dashing forward. Natsu felt his stomach flip, and without thinking, shouted, "Wait!"

But it was too late.

For the light that was once a soft green became a _glaring, glaring red._

A truck appeared from seemingly nowhere, driving at a dangerous speed.

_Heading straight towards her._

The pink-haired man's eyes widened and he reached his arm forward, yelling her name as loud as he could.

She stopped right in its path, and turn to watch it barrel towards her, her eyes widening, her feet unable to move.

_"NO!"_

The truck hit her with a startling _'crack!'_ and she let out a piercing, blood-curdling scream. She was tossed forward by the impact, landing with a sickening thud. Natsu's eyes widened further, his face contorted in shock and grief. He was horrified, his mouth agape in a silent scream, trembling.

He stared on unable to comprehend, or even accept the fact that she died such a revolting death right in front of his eyes. Her legs and arms were mangled, bent at disturbingly unnatural angle. Her blood splattered, splashing everything, including him. He covered his mouth and nose, tears falling from his eyes at the macabre scene. The crimson dyed the world a new shade, and it was _everywhere_.

He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't _think_.

He stood there, frightened beyond belief. The once beautiful summer day suddenly became _repulsive_, in just a matter of _seconds_. The heat around him became too much, sweltering, dry air mingling with her scent , and all the gore in the street.

_It was chocking him_.

Just across the street, something wavered into view. The silhouette appeared to have a dark red head of hair, and wore black clothes. It appeared to shimmer, and it seemed to move closer. When it got close, he could see it.

It looked _exactly_ like him.

But there was a dark smirk plastered on its face, and an aura that screamed _evil_, and he knew this couldn't be him. He turned back to the street, and he knew it all had to be a lie.

_Lies._

_Lies!_

_LIES!_

Everything had to be a lie! None of this could be true. As real as it all seemed, it was just some sick illusion played by his mind. No, never, never-

"Natsu~"

The red doppelgänger caught his attention, it's voice filled with malice and sardonic. Said man looked away from the grotesque scene to face the _Kagerou_, and realized his smirk had morphed into a smug and toothy grin, mocking the tragedy with frighteningly cold eyes.

"It's all real!" He said, sounding amused.

The words stabbed his heart, three little words crushing him like a ton of bricks had fallen on him. The summer cicadas seemed to chirp and cricket too loud, _too loud_.

Soon his head began to pound, and the beautiful blue sky began to darken.

He managed to wheeze out a small "_Lucy..._" before everything went black.

* * *

**(A/N): Phew... done. **

**I found out that this song is part of a large series of songs about people. Look up the _Kagerou Project_, and you will find everything! It's _really_ good guys, seriously! There's even an ongoing MANGA! Can you believe that!  
**

**So sorry for keeping this for so long! I really didn't mean to!  
**

**I hope it's not horrible, it was really hard to extend it...**

**Shout out to my reviewers, followers, and favoriters (Not even a word) and I hope you bear with me. I have an _extremely_ busy schedule...**

_**Chapter Three, coming... at some point in the future!**_

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


	3. Natsu, lying

**(A/N):**

**So here is the third installment of ****_Kagerō Deizu_****. A big thank you to **_**idek0219**_**, because she reviewed my ****_sucky_**** story and said it was great!**

**It made my day :)**

**So I was having a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with this chapter, and I was at school the other day- ****_bored as fuck, mind you- _****and I had my head down, hoodie on, thinking about life, and suddenly****_ BOOM! _**

**_IT CAME TO ME!_**

**And I was like ****_"AH!"_**** and the teacher was like ****_"DAFUQ?!"_**

**_YEAH, SO HERE GOES!_**

**_ALSO, A HAPPY (though, extremely belated) BIRTHDAY TO MASHIMA-SENSEI! 5/3!  
_**

* * *

_He was in a dark room. At least he thought it was. The surroundings were a dark purple, appearing to move, swirl, and change shade, as if it was alive. The edges of his line of vision black, almost as if he was experiencing tunnel vision._

'This is a dream_,_'_ he thought, but it somehow_ _feels as though he was just trying to convince himself._

_He looked down, feeling lightweight, and realized he must be floating._

But he couldn't see his body.

_Just before he began to panic, he heard a small sound._

Tick.

_It was a clock._

_But the way the ticking seemed to grow louder, almost _annoyingly_ loud, he knew there was more than one._

_And he was right._

_He turned to see a wall. It appeared infinite, lined with innumerable clocks, all ticking at different paces. They all appeared identical, which unnerved the 18 year old._

_But there was one clock, just one clock, that caught his eye out of all other undistinguished ones._

The one that didn't tick.

_It was frozen at_ exactly '3:51 PM'

_And he watched as the _Kagerou_, the thing that laughed at his pain, his face set with serious yet straight, walk up to the one clock and smear it with a sanguine, blood-like paint._

And he decided he didn't like the color red anymore.

* * *

_**12:37 PM, July 17th**_

He woke up to the sound of a ticking clock, though this time he was in a bed. He was facing up, looking at a familiar ceiling, lying on familiar sheets.

He was back at home.

Natsu sat up, confusion evident in his tired features.

"What time is it?" He mumbled sleepily. He glanced up at the clock, its face reading _'12:37 PM'_

"What..." Even more muddled than before, he picked up his cell phone, and it said the same thing. Looking at the date, his eyes widened and he gasped lightly.

_'July 17th'_

So then...

_It was a dream!_

He knew it! He knew it was a dream! Despite how vivid and grotesque it had been, it was all just a dream!

With a relieved sigh, he went about his morning, and pretty much the rest of his day, with an innocent and worry-free mind.

And when he went to sleep that night, he hoped that that dream had no affect on the next day.

_Though he couldn't have been more wrong._

* * *

_**3:38 PM, July**** 18th**  
_

He went about the same routine as he did in his dream, though he left the house a bit later than in his dream. For some reason, this time around, it wasn't that big of a deal that his father wasn't home.

Though it was quite alarming that the note left behind was the _exact_ same as in his dream.

He brushed it off as a coincidence- though he couldn't tell if it was because that was a possibility, or if it was that he was afraid to admit that it _wasn't_ a coincidence. Not even in the slightest.

He walked to the park again, which he passed on the way to the cafe he worked in. The cicadas buzzed loudly in the summer heat, and he felt agitated by the sound, which was exactly the same as in his dream.

_Why did his mind keep going back to that dream?_

_That dream wasn't anymore significant than any other dream he'd had, right?_

He stopped walking, right in front of the nostalgic entrance of the park. Looking into the distance, he saw _her_.

_It was Lucy!_

He found himself speed-walking through the park, dreading the moment he would talk to her.

And when he approached, and saw that it was really, truly the girl who died yesterday. She looked up at him and smiled, saying a bright, "Hi!"

But this time, he was too focused on the fact that today seemed exactly like his dream. A deep feeling of déjà vu caused his stomach to roll, the anticipation making his throat close.

But, once again he ignored it. He swallowed past the lump that formed, and decided that it was all _still_ a coincidence.

_Just a coincidence..._

* * *

_**3:50 PM, July 18th**  
_

He walked with her, talking avidly, exactly like in the dream. He was fine, really. Nothing had happened so far, so he had nothing to worry about.

At least, that was what he thought.

Happy, who she had cradled in her arms for this entire day, suddenly jumped, dashing across the street. Lucy was about to follow suit._**  
**_

And the image of a dead, bloody Lucy flashed in his mind.

_No._

_It can't be..._

_No! _

_Wait! WAIT! PLEA-_

"Wait!" Natsu found himself stopping her, grabbing her wrist. She turned and looked at him curiously, observing his tense features, sweating nervously, the tight grip he had on her wrist.

"What's wrong, Natsu?"

His eyes widened, and he straightened up, clearing his throat. He scratched the back of his head, and looked up, smiling awkwardly.

"Ehem... I kinda wanna go home for today..."

Lucy eyed him weirdly."But, Happy-"

"He was heading for the store district," He interrupted quickly," we'll look for him there!"

With that, not even waiting for her response, he dragged he down the sidewalk to the stores. It took just one minute to get there, considering how he practically ran the way there. He let go of he wrist and walked ahead, glancing left and right for any dangers.

So he almost missed how every person on that street looked up in horror. He turned just in time to watch a construction girder fall from the sky.

And _impale_ an unsuspecting Lucy straight through her torso.

_Blood._

Wind chimes rung, and her scream practically _ripped_ through the air, almost _echoing_ off the park trees in the distance.

_He didn't remember there ever being construction here._

It came as one of those moments. You see something so horrifying that your mind can't comprehend what your eyes just witness. Natsu's mind seemed unable to process what had just transpired, but when it did, he screamed.

_Loud._

His senses seemed to slam back into him, cutting through the daze and forcing him to realize everything that happened. He was covered in her blood, which seeped into her own blue dress, dripping on the ground, painting the grey steel girder. It had hit the ground with enough force for it to be buried in the concrete, which had cracked.

It wasn't moving anytime soon.

More beams fell, slamming and clattering and clanging on the ground.

Almost, just _almost_, drowning out the horrified screams.

But they were there, full of panic and fear.

And somewhere, in the back of his mind, took note of the blue cat watching he scene from afar.

His face contorted in absolute grief, eyes wide and mouth agape as he screamed once again, reaching forward to save a her.

_Even if she was a lost cause._

He ran forward, hand stretched out in hopes of reaching her, to do something, anything. He silently prayed this was all a dream, again.

But he himself doubted it.

Before he could near her, something pushed passed him. He froze at the unexpected chill that ran through his body, and turned slightly, only to see _it_.

_The Kagerou._

It turned as well, that same sadistic, yet calm smile spread across it's lips, same cold, cold eyes piercing his. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, Natsu and the red being having some sort of staring contest.

It's smile widened, it's eyes narrowing in heartless glee.

Suddenly, Natsu was pushed back, an invisible force shoving him away by his chest. He looked up, and that same _Kagerou_ had it's arm outstretched, it's smile still in place. Natsu couldn't make a sound as he began falling, crashing to the ground.

Once again, he prayed this was a dream.

As if it could read his mind, the _Kagerou_ spoke.

_"This is all real, Natsu!"_ It laughed cruelly.

Before Natsu could hit the ground, he glanced at the girl, who's body hung limply, her dead weight on the girder that killed her in the first place.

He couldn't tell if it was his darkening mind playing tricks on him, or the _Kagerou_, or even if it was real...

_But he swore he saw a smile, however small, on her beautiful, yet bloodied face..._

* * *

_He'll try again._

* * *

**(A/N):Okay.**_  
_

**I'm not sure how this is going. I like it so far, I think I put enough angst to make a puppy dieing seem less vile.**

**At least, that's what I think.**

**This chapter was supposed to come out a long time ago, but I am facing _alot_ of issues at the moment. I feel like I'm... drowning... All my problems from the past, and the new ones that have arisen, pushing me deeper.**

**I stayed home from school today, because I _really_ needed to rest and get my shit back together.**

**Ah, you guys really don't care, do you?**

**Anyways, I have my ideas for the 4th chapter, and some of the 5th, so I'll try to get myself back together and get them out for you guys, okay? Plus, reading and writing seems to help me calm down, and forget about the problems, even for just a moment.**

_**Look forward to the next installment!**_

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


	4. Natsu, trying

**(A/N):**

**Not much to say today, so I shall DISCLAIM!**

**Disclaimer: **

_**Roses are red,**_

_**Violets are blue,**_

_**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail**_

_**LUCKY BASTARD, DAMN YOU!**_

**(I made it up myself )**

* * *

Natsu woke up again.

Now, it _couldn't_ be a coincidence.

Natsu looked at the clock across the room, the red digital numbers flashing that it was 3:24 PM

_He was late._

This time, he rushed to get ready, dashing out of the house without checking up on his father. He sprinted to the park, and spotted the same Lucy sitting on the swing.

_Alive._ Right before his very eyes.

It was funny, in a twisted way, because when he neared her for _the third time on this same day_, and she greeting him as a stranger would for _the third time this same day_, he could tell.

She didn't even know.

She didn't know that she had died _twice._

He got closer, slowing just the slightest, but didn't stop.

"Good afte-"

"Hurry!" He grabbed her arm, almost yanking it out of it's socket as he dragged her away from the park, speeding up again.

"W-Wait!" she shrieked, struggling to keep up,"What's going on?!"

He continued to run, never once slowing as he lied,"There are rumors of gangs hanging around the park. It's dangerous there."

She stopped struggling, and didn't question anymore. He was slightly glad that she didn't. He was already surprised that he had come up with such a smooth lie on the spot, and he didn't think he would be able to do it again.

They passed by the store district, and Natsu unconsciously turned right, _away_ from that dreaded place, though not before catching a glimpse of the area that was full of destruction the day before.

He wasn't surprised to see that there was_ absolutely_ no sign of any construction, and no sign of it ever happening in the _first place_.

He continued to run, and soon enough he spotted an overhead walking bridge, above a busy avenue.

_There._

He increased his speed, and ran up to the steps, looking around for dangers. He slowed down, looking down at a wristwatch he had put on before he left his house.

_3:50 PM_

He had to get up there. _Now_.

He pulled her up to the stairs, letting go of her hand to grab the railing, and sped up to the landing.

He got up, just to see the _Kagerou_ again.

It was leaning leisurely on the railing adjacent to him, and Natsu stared as the thing turned its head towards him, his eyes fearful.

"It's useless, Natsu." It's voice devoid of emotion. It's wicked, twisted smile still on its face.

Lucy suddenly squeaked in shock, and then gasped when her foot slipped from one of the steps

She began to tumble down.

And Natsu watched as the girl hit each step, her body mutilating with each thud, blood splattering on each step. Her head hit the bottom with a startling crack, and blood pooled onto the pavement.

The boy let out a frustrated, anguished scream, his world becoming dark.

_Again._

* * *

_It was all a blur, the next few times she died.  
_

_Getting attacked by dogs, shooters, muggers, anything that could kill her._

_And it was always in front of his eyes._

* * *

He wasn't counting, but he estimated that the 35th death was one of the worst.

He had stayed home that day, opting to avoid the inevitable.

That's the thing, though. _It was inevitable._

He had waited until the time struck, and right when it did, he had gotten up and dashed outside.

To his surprise, she was just walking by his house.

She saw the movement from the corner of her eye, and, being the friendly person that she was, she turned to wave, smiling the same bright smile.

A car, driving at impossible speeds, rammed into her.

He didn't get a chance to even feel afraid that she was in front of his house. one second she was there, the next...

Gone.

The car had hit her with so much speed and force that her blood, instead of just splattering, smeared all the way down the street; her body flying out of his sight.

He didn't get a chance to scream. His vision went black before he could process it all.

But when he woke up the next time, he hurled the contents of his stomach, the macabre scene imprinted into his mind like it was permanently tattooed there.

* * *

_He was slowly loosing it._

* * *

Each time she died, it was violent. Each time, her red_, red _blood, stained her blue_, blue _dress, dying her golden hair_ sanguine, _and turning the world_ crimson.  
_

Each time, he would come to the clock room, and another clock would be stopped, always at the exact same time.

_3:51 PM_

"Why don't you just give up!" the _Kagerou_ sneered this time.

But he didn't respond.

* * *

They were walking across the street, not a car in sight, on either side.

Natsu walked with quick-paced steps, Lucy trying to keep up with him.

Suddenly, Lucy stopped, and Natsu turned.

"What are you doing?!" he asked, voice frantic,"Let's go!"

"Calm down, Natsu!" She said back, worried, "What's going on? Why are so antsy?"

Natsu looked left and right, eyes panicked."Lucy, this isn't saf-"

He didn't finish, as the street light hanging above them crashed down on her skull.

She was _decapitated_. Right on the spot.

This was another one he couldn't forget.

* * *

She's been dying for _too long_.

Her didn't count the days, because this started to suddenly, but he guessed at least ten years.

Ten _long_ years of watching her suffer, and suffering himself. Her ends quick, but bloody. Her oblivious to it all, while he was forced to continue the cycle.

_Wake up. Try. Watch her die. Repeat._

He was probably insane by now. They say-he doesn't know who exactly 'they' are- that insanity is repeating something over and over, and expecting a different result.

Did this apply to him?

Yes.

* * *

He looked horrible.

Bags under his eyes, face pale, eyes dull and lifeless. One could take a glance and tell he was wearing thin.

_Dangerously_ thin.

But he still kept trying.

* * *

_Why does the clock keep stopping at that exact time?_

Natsu stared at the wall of clocks, once again failing to protect Lucy. He was sure this was a stupid thought to have, when he should be thinking about how to _save_ the girl.

This demented world he lived in was becoming tedious. All the despair and sadness he felt, all the times he tried so hard, pushing himself to think and react quickly, just for her to die at _'3:51 PM'_

He just wanted it all to end.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was just going to keep repeating, forever and ever...

At the thought of it, he reached up, grabbing his hair and pulling in a panicked gesture.

_He wouldn't be able to take it._

_Too much! Too much!_

Tears flooded to his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He clenched his teeth, grinding his molars together until it hurt.

He looked back up at the clocks, body shaking, hands still locked in his hair.

Only two clocks remained unbroken.

What if all the clocks were _gone_?

_Will that end the cycle?! What would come after that?!_

Millions of questions swirled in his head, each one making him more nervous than the last. His heart beat at a thousand miles per hour.

Suddenly, the _Kagerou_ appeared.

He looked up to it, eyes unfocused and vision blurry with tears. It stared right back at him, it's intimidating gaze piercing through his soul.

Natsu wasn't _afraid_ of it anymore.

He straightened, glaring back with all the hate he could muster. It seemed slightly-_ever so slightly_- surprised by the action, as most times, Natsu would look away, frightened.

This time he stood, no falter, dark green clashing upon black.

_He wasn't backing down._

"Can't you see, Natsu? You're never going to win," it laughed, "Stop trying!"

The look on Natsu's face darkened, rage swirling his eyes to a darker hue. His response, though strained, came out calmer than expected.

_"No."_

* * *

_**2:59 PM, July 18th**  
_

Natsu dashed out of his house, desperate but determined. He was aware of the limited amount of time he had left, and he knew he had to make sure he used it to his best ability.

_If he failed, what would happen?_

Something told him he really _didn't_ want to find out. He had a presentiment that it would hurt more than the torture he was going through now. So, he continued his run to the park, spotting that same Lucy in it. He stopped in front of her, closing his eyes, doubling over to catch his breath.

"Umm... You okay there?"

Natsu's eyes snapped back open. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and swallowing past the dread blooming in his chest. Then he spoke, his voice the complete opposite of the frenzy in his mind.

"I'm Natsu..."

* * *

**_3:51 PM, July 18th_**

And that was how he ended up here.

Lucy cradled in his arms dead. His despair shown only by his tears, his mind slowly going black. The nondescript adults continuing their walk, ignorant to his disheartened cries and her blood on the concrete. Natsu could tell the _Kagerou_ was in the background. It was saying something, but he couldn't hear it. Or maybe his brain just didn't _want_ to hear it.

Why did it hurt _so_ bad?

Countless times trying to save her, countless time she died despite his attempts. For the umpteenth time, the _Kagerou_ stood in the background, laughing at his misery.

In fact, he was sure that was what it was doing now.

He wanted an answer. _Anything_ he could do to stop this. There had to be something- _something_ beyond these two abysmal, endlessly repeating days of horrifying heat. Beyond the _Kagerou_, beyond the gore, the fear, the _death_.

Something like the seemingly sweet winter.

"...There's only one answer, Natsu. But I doubt you'll see it." Suddenly, said man could hear the _Kagerou's_ voice.

Did it just give him an answer? Natsu wasn't the smartest, but he picked up on the tacit message. Whether it was given on purpose or it was purely a coincidence, he knew.

Through the insanity that had developed, over years and years of watching her die. Through the sadness, loneliness, tears, fears, and every little moment absolute determination, he knew.

_He finally found his answer._

* * *

**(A/N):**

**Alrighty, a few things.**

**First, this was supposed to come out _looooooong_ time ago. But the school year is ending, _thank god_, and I have regents to take(_Ugh_), things to do, things to look forward to. It has become a lot, and I got this chance of a day off (today's Brooklyn-Queens day in Queens, so I have no school) to write. I actually started finishing this yesterday, but my mom turned off the computer, and I lost my work (I thought it was going pretty well, and then it all gets deleted). I have got to stop winging it when I write. I need to write everything _before_ I do this, or at least save it so I don't lose my work. But I tried my _best_ to remember the stuff I wrote yesterday.**

**Sorry if this chapter seems choppy. I was trying to make it seem like Natsu's thoughts, jumbled up and choppy because of his situation. Of course, Natsu most likely doesn't know some of the words I put in there, so, yeah.**

**I have to take a regents exam on my birthday! Can you believe that?! But I don't really care, because it's not like I'm going to get a celebration anyway. Mom says that because of my 'behavior', I'm not getting anything, and that she will make sure no one else in my family does anything for me.**

**But enough of my depressing thoughts.**

**A big thanks to all my reviewers:**

_**GoldenRoseTanya**__**, **__** HappytheExceed, idek0219, and Guest**_

**Favorites:**

******_Critic-san__,_** _GoldenRoseTanya_, _KanaeHitomi_, _Miku-chan0948_, _Pandachan120_, and _Techno Skittles_

**and Followers:**

** _KanaeHitomi_, _Miku-chan0948_, _Pandachan120__, HappytheExceed, and_ _idek0219  
_**

**I included their names here, unlike last time, so they know how special and happy they make me :3**

_**Expect chapter 5 soon! It's the last one, so yeah... I won't guarantee a happy ending, by the way...**_

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


	5. Natsu, dying

**(A/N):**

**So, based on what I've heard, I'm not doing too bad.**

**Thanks to all who supported me though this story, and look forward to new stories and updates!**

**HERE WE GO!**

* * *

**_3:20 PM, July_****_18th_**

Natsu had gotten up slightly refreshed, in spite of himself. It felt as though a weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he was no longer so confused.

He knew what he had to do.

So he began his walk to the park. He had to take his time if he wanted it to be perfect.

* * *

**_3:37 PM, July__ 18th_**

"Hi!"

The blond haired girl looked up, and smiled. Once again, the pink-haired man found himself blushing, and was saddened by the fact that it would end. A slight panic rose up in him, and he fought the urge to grab the girl and run away. He quelled that feeling with the knowledge of his plan.

"Hello there!"

"Why are you sittin' here all by yourself?" He knew the answer to this one.

"Enjoying my last day here." A sad smile graced her lips, and he suddenly wanted it to be a happy smile again. He looked down at the cat in her lap, noticing its blue fur.

"Why is your cat blue?"

She looked up, as if she was snapped out of her reverie, and then giggled, a small noise that sounded like a wind chime. He grinned.

"Oh, Happy's naturally blue. I don't know how, but he is. We even tried washing it off; thought it was a dye."

Natsu chuckled, before saying,"I never got your name."

"I'm Lucy," she said, reaching her hand out.

"Name's Natsu." He shook her hand, marveling in its soft feel.

"Hm, Natsu, huh?" She hummed,"That means summer, right?"

"Yep."

"No offense, but I kinda hate summer." she muttered, stroking Happy gently.

Natsu stared at her, remembering all that he'd been through, all that he'd done, and all his dismay when he failed.

"Y'know what? I hate it, too..."

* * *

_**3:50 PM, July 18th**_

It was now or never.

They were walking, Lucy clutching her cat tightly. He had to hand it to himself, he did a pretty good job of acting normal, despite what he was going to do.

He _would_ get her out.

And suddenly, the Happy jumped out of her hands, dashing across the street.

"Happy, wait!" Lucy dashed forward, running out into the street. Natsu said nothing, sprinting close after her.

Looking up at the light, he kept close to her, running right behind her, to watch the green light turn that same glaring, glaring red.

_Now!_

Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist, and she yelped in surprised. Pulling her back, he swung her, and she stumbled back towards the curb, unharmed.

And, at that very moment, the fated truck slammed into his left side, just as a smile crept to his face.

_Blood._

_Pain._

He didn't expect this much pain. White-hot needles crawled from his left side to his right, scorching and angry. Natsu saw the world dyed crimson, just like all the times he saw when Lucy died. But this time _he_ was in her position.

_He was dying._

The thought should have frightened him, but somehow, he felt at peace.

_He'd finally saved her. That was all that mattered._

He managed to turn his head taking everything in. Everything went in an odd slow motion, and he could see Lucy's eyes widening, tears gathering.

_Don't cry._

_Please, don't cry._

She didn't hear him, and he felt slightly stupid for thinking she would hear his thoughts. He didn't want her to cry, though. The pink-haired man had never seen her cry, because she always died before he truly got to know her.

And as the tears leaked out of her large, brown eyes, her face scrunching up in pure grief, her hand going up to cover her mouth much like his had done, he decided he hated her tears.

_Almost_ as much as he hated watching her die.

He saw a figure standing in the distance. The Kagerou stared on in shock. The smugness, the smirk, the freezing eyes.

_All gone._

He continued to fall forward in the frayed time, and he found himself smiling darkly.

"_I win_." He mouthed, and its eyes widened even further.

Were those... _tears_?

Yes, the _Kagerou_, the thing that had caused all this crap, was crying for him.

* * *

_And, though Natsu didn't know it, the Kagerou had already watched Natsu die. Too many times._

* * *

And it watched again, crying all the while, too shocked to move.

It was _odd_.

Shouldn't it have been saying something?

_'Serves you right, Natsu!'_ bragging, smiling maliciously, _not caring at all. it would have been the same as any other summer day._

_Yet..._

Natsu looked back at Lucy, his vision going dark, the slow motion over.

_This is where it ends, right?_

Something blue materialized right next to Lucy. It matched her perfectly, except it was entirely blue. Its fist clenched, and its head rose, eyes cold.

Natsu's eyes widened._  
_

_No..._

But everything went black.

* * *

A blond girl woke up in a bed, sitting up forlornly. It was July 17th.

She leaned her head on the windowsill by her bed, trying her best to not cry.

But the tears came anyway, running down her face, brown eyes shining like they were full of little stars. Happy climbed onto her bed, and sat in her arms, letting the salty water fall on his head. She pet him softly, but she didn't look down.

"I failed this time, too..." the girl mumbled softly.

* * *

**(A/N): **

**Thank you to all those who have supported me on this journey! I know this is a surprise, for me to be updating twice in a row, but I was almost done with this one. This was much simpler and shorter than all my other chapters, I know, but that's just how it goes.**

**I got tons of review yesterday, and I was so happy! Thank you all!**

**Anyway, I'm starting a new drabble series.**

**Why, you ask?**

**Yes.**

**Readers:'B-But you didn't answe-"**

**Anyway, this particular series is going to be humor. Humor. I really need to take a break with all this angst. Plus, I have tons of funny ideas swarming in my head, and I need to get them out.**

**So, I will get started with that after I eat some food. I came home from school today and I went straight on the computer. Now my stomach sounds like Natsu roaring. Yeah.**

**Anyway, it's been fun... well, _angsty_, and I hope you liked it.**

**And if you're wondering about Music for Thought, I'm not too sure about that one.**

**On a side note: DID ANYONE READ THE NEW CHAPTER OF FAIRY TAIL?! OMG! ASDFGHJKLQWERTYUIOPZXCVBNM! I'M NOT GONNA SPOIL IT FOR YOU ALL, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, DO IT NOW! Though, for all you fangirls of Gray(which I'm not really one; I like Natsu better)I suggest you prepare some ice cream and tissues. Just sayin'... (I bet the fanfictions for Gray are be blowing up right now.)**

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


	6. Sora makes an announcement

**ANNOUNCEMENT! TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC!**

**Alrighty, people. So I have gotten 16 reviews for this story.**

_**Sixteen reviews!**_

**I know, that isn't a lot. But, considering the contents of the reviews, it appears as though my calling is angst. **

**You see, after I posted the last chapter to this, my computer started spazzing. Things got deleted and I just gave up. My ideas were started, but the documents never saved properly, so, I've come to a _writer's block_.**

**I've heard about these things, and they are _HORRIBLE_. It kinda feels like a gaping hole. You just sit in front of the computer or your piece of paper and can't do anything. Like the gaping hole is swallowing all your previous creativity and imagination...**

**So! I want you guys to PM me ANY angst suggestion. I don't know if I can do fluff, but I will try my hardest.**

**This story has pretty much wiped my angst reserves (?), so give me a suggestion and I will try my best.**

**So, once again, PM me some angst suggestions you wanna see from me. I really want to make a story that will make a person happy, because I made it for THEM. No need for titles, or summaries, just send me a plot bunny.**

**I'll be taking the first _TWO_ suggestions that get to me quickly enough (first come, first serve). Maybe I'll do more, because school is almost ending. Although, I have regents to take. **

**Thanks, Everyone!**

**(P.S: I bet you thought this was another chapter)**

**(P.P.S: Guests just write it in a review)**

**Oh, yeah, one last thing. They must be NALUs. And they cannot have an overly cliche plot.**

**~Cool Noodles in Awesome Sauce~**


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